Sawmill Machine Operators

Sawmill Machine Operators operate a range of machines that are used in the manufacturing of paper products including plywood, fibreboard and other wood products. The nature of the work is noisy, requires heavy lifting and the operation of potentially dangerous machinery.

Average weekly hours: Average weekly hours worked for a full time Sawmill Machine Operator is 38.1 hoursEmployment by region:
The top three regions for employment as a Sawmill Machine Operator include:

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Employment trends

Employment for Sawmill Machine Operators has declined by a rate of -19.7% over the past 5 years and is expected to further decline through 2017.

Employment growth

Total employment growth over the past 5 years for male and female, employed part-time and full-time has declined by -2,400

Gender (including full time and part time)

The percentage of males and females working full time and part time are:

Male Full Time: 83.2%

Male Part Time: 7.1%

Female Full Time: 9.8%

Female Part Time: 0.0%

Other relevant information

Duties and tasks

Checking machines to make certain that they are in proper working order

Checking to make sure that cuts are accurate

Cleaning machines

Controlling lathes and other machines used for slicing

Cutting materials to exact specifications

Operating a variety of machines used to create products ranging from cardboard containers to tissue paper and other related paper products

Operating loading machines and cutting machines

Starting machines and then feeding stock towards saw blades

Skills required

Attention to Detail

Controlling operations of equipment or systems

Ensuring that machines function properly by viewing various indicators

Multi-tasking

Problem solving skills

Working conditions

The occupation of a sawmill machine operation involves work that can be dangerous, as the machines used employ fast moving, sharp blades used for rapid cutting. These machines are also very noisy and produce a good deal of dust and debris, meaning that safety equipment such as earplugs and goggle are often a must. Those interested in this occupation should realise that it does have a higher change of injury than the overall average for all occupations.